2nd lead (adds correction)

130,000 families affected by flood in east

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 December 2004, 12:29 GMT]
The recent flood in the three district of the eastern province, Batticaloa, Amparai and Trincomalee, has affected about 130,000 families. The breakdown is 61,588 in Batticaloa, 69,048 in Amparai, and 1,799 in Trincomalee. Eight persons including two children died till Thursday night in these districts due to heavy rain and flood. Most of the deaths were due to severe cold. No death has been reported from Trincomalee district, social service sources said.

About three thousand families are given shelter in government schools, public buildings and temples in Batticaloa district. More than five hundred huts had been washed away by floodwater, civil sources said.

The Ministry of Social Services has allocated initially about four million rupees for the districts of Batticaloa and Amparai to provide immediate relief such as cooked meal, blankets and other materials despite request made by the Batticaloa Government Agent for 15 million rupees for his district alone, sources said.